A life worth fighting for
by LabyrinthStarGazer
Summary: Gajeel & Levy go to the same school but have never really met due to their differences until after one fated night, their lives were never the same & they were always destined to save each other in one way or another. Join Gajevy in their story of adventure, danger & love & how they find that there is always something beautiful in the shadows, rated M for language & later Lemon
1. Chapter 1

**A life worth fighting for**

 _ **Chapter 1: So it begins...**_

 **By: Stragazer**

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters in this story, they belong to Hiro Mashima. Here's the first chapter of my new, Gajevy story, do enjoy and don't forget to review._ (✿◠‿◠)

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 ** _He was the schools delinquent, going now where in life except a jail cell at twenty-two, dead and thirty-three, those were his odds, no one would come to his funeral. His life was fast paced, everyday was a life or death moment, living on the edge with no family or friends, he found his kicks with drugs and bar fights with bigger, meaner men. Girls were a night time thing, take one home in bed and leave them in the morning, no number or goodbye note, nothing... he was nothing, until she saved him._**

 ** _She was the schools prize student, going great places, NASA maybe or somewhere like that but it was never good enough, she would be married in her late twenties with three kids, dead at late thirties from suicide. Her life was like a broken record, wake up, do what needs to be done, go to sleep, there was no adventure, she was bored and everyday her spirit seemed to die. She had parents but they were never around, her mother was traveling the world, father in the army so she was sent gifts and given a credit card with a stupid amount of money on. There was no fire in her eyes anymore, there was always some smarter, better just more than her, her life was dying, she was dying... until he saved her._**

Her eyes were stinging from the harsh, cold air as she trudged down the icy streets of magnolia, curse her hard studying, she'd spent most of her night in the city library because of an upcoming test and now, she was completely pooped. She could barely walk straight but the only thing that kept her moving was the fear of being found asleep in one of the bad parts of town which, conveniently was were she lived and she was rather adamant on not getting stabbed or mugged. She was wearing a cream, winter coat with a white beanie hat and she was wearing black, thick leggings and brown boots though they didn't help against the cold. The air was painfully cold, numbing her fingertips and toes through her clothes, her cheeks were red raw and felt like someone was stabbing them with pins. She wrapped her arms around her small frame and rubbed them, trying in a vain attempt to heat herself up but she wasn't watching where she was going and hadn't noticed the leg sticking out of the alley she passed. With an ugly shriek, she fell, hitting the floor with a hiss of pain and glared round to what ever had tripped her and her eyes went wide. It was a person, a boy, she knew the boy, he went to her school, the bad-ass and asshole of the all the students, she hadn't spoken to him... ever, she stayed well clear of him but he looked in bad shape. He was bleeding on his forehead, he was bruised and scratched, his clothes torn and body shivering, he looked like he'd gone a couple round with Mike Tyson, his hair was splayed out around him and he breathing was broken and ragged.

"H-hey... G-Gajeel... are you okay?" She questioned, her voice shivering and she shook him, he ground, trying with no avail to push away whoever was jerking him so painfully and she sighed. What she was thinking was stupid but she wouldn't forgive herself if he died and she could have done something. "Alright big guy... let's get you up...!" She heaved as she grabbed one of his solid arms and pulled him into a sitting position, he growled in pain like a feral animal but made no attempt to stop her as she lifted him to lean one arm on her shoulder and she almost toppled over but all those swimming classes had strengthened and toned her legs enough to keep them both on their feet. He managed to take steps, slow, drawn out, wobbly step so he was conscious which, in her books was a good sign. He coughed and spluttered, almost falling over half a street away from the alley but she was able to keep him upright. "It's okay... I got you..." she soothed as she patted his back and he made a content noise. It was kind of a god send that she didn't live to far, she honestly had never been happier to live so close to such a bad place as she walked up the stairs to the second floor apartment on the house, it was hard getting him to walk up the stairs and she honestly almost dropped him twice. She balanced him painfully on her shoulders as she grabbed her keys and opened the door it instantly lead into her front room but she passed it and went straight to the spare room, it usually kept most of her books in but there was a bed and a dresser the rest was just a bunch of books, some scattered on the floor and she looked at them questioningly. Well, when he woke up he'd have enough sense to watch where he was going... hopefully. With a sigh she laid him on the bed and looked down at him, up close he looked kind of intimidating and huge, it was a wonder she even got him off the ground, let alone all the way to her apartment. His eyes were closed and he was still breathing oddly as she searched his face, he looked like he'd been ran over by a dump truck, she huffed as she headed into the kitchen. Her parents were always well prepared and she was accident prone so it payed to keep a box of medical stuff under the sink cupboard. With a grunt she pulled the heavy box out and walked back into the spare room and switched on the light, he moaned and tried to roll over but he was in to much pain. Her heart twitched a little to see him so helpless, she hated stuff like that, it made her want to cry and she sniffled back the tears. With a shake of her head she walked over to the guy, she took off her coat and hat, letting her cyan locks fall down to her jaw and showed her big, white jumper that almost touched her knees and fell down one shoulder. She opted for sorting his face and working her way down to the wound on his chest, abdomen and sides. There was a gash above his brow, just centimeters from his piercings and she pulled out the cotton wool and antibacterial solution, she poured the solution into a metal bowl she had in the box and pressed it against the ghastly cut. Gajeel winced, attempting to pull away but it didn't work and he grunted every time the cotton touched him. It took no time at all before the cotton was drenched in his blood and she pulled out another, dotting it on the graze he had on his cheek, then she did the cut on his lip and she cleaned his face before putting gauze on his wounds and putting surgical tape on them to keep them in place. "What have you been doing?" She asked as she wiped her brow and pulled up the sleeves of her jumper before she sat him up and pulled up his shirt. There were boot marks on his back and there was a hefty looking gash on the bicep of his left arm, she took a moment to rid herself of the awful hotness that overwhelmed her when she was looking upon his well toned abs and chest. No eighteen year old should have looked that buff but he looked like some sort of super soldier, he looked like he'd give her father a run for his money and that was saying something because her father was 6'4'' of pure muscle and bad-assery. Levy shook her head and tucked her cyan hair behind one ear as she started to clean the slash on his muscle, he groaned in pain and she gave him an apologetic look, despite his eyes being closed. The cleaning of it was the easy bit but she'd have to stitch it up, she got the medical thread and a medical needle from the box. It was awful having to push the sharp object through his skin which only caused him more pain as he tried to pull away and she grabbed his arm. "I need to stitch it, if i don't it will go septic and you'll have to have it taken off or you'll die!" She exclaimed and he took a deep breath before she started again and he groaned, tensing and she moved gently, careful not to get his muscle as she kept going. It felt like forever before she finally had the seven inch gash completely closed and she wiped it before wrapping a bandage around his arm to stop him catching it in his sleep. Her hands shook a little as she cleaned the cuts and grazes on his sides, and front, it felt weird touching him while he was semi-conscious but she had to do it. Thankfully the wounds on his chest and abdomen weren't as bad so she only had to clean them and put some gauze here and there, she was practically passing out by the time she had finished and she turned to lean on the bed, resting her head on the mattress and staring at the ceiling, to tired to move. She fell asleep almost instantly after closing her eyes, both of them sleeping soundly, he was snoring heavily and she mumbled a few times in her sleep as her head fell forwards and she slept sat up, the box of medical gear inches from her... unknowing to the other that their lives had only just begun...


	2. Chapter 2

**A life worth fighting for**

 _ **Chapter 2: Guardian angel...**_

 **By: Stragazer**

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters in this story, they belong to Hiro Mashima. This chapter is Gajeel point of view, do enjoy and don't forget to review._ (✿◠‿◠)

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Gajeel could feel his aches and pains which was good, that meant he wasn't dead but he couldn't wake up, it was fucking cold but not cold enough to numb the throbbing of his body. He groaned as he attempted to move but it was like he was glued to the floor, he could hardly move his arms, how had he even gotten there, did Jose's goons leave him there to die or had he some how managed to drag himself far enough away. He could hear movement, boots of the ground, light, probably female, he heard her harsh breathing and he needed to get her attention, but how, he couldn't move, couldn't summon up the strength to even open his eyes. She was getting closer, he thought she'd passed and his heart sank, he was going to die there, that was until he felt something hit his leg and a very... unique scream, something akin to what he'd assume pterodactyl and a trains love child would sound like. There was a disgruntled growl and then a gasp, Jesus he had never been so happy, he could have smile if he had the energy and he heard her crawl closer.

"H-hey... G-Gajeel... are you okay?" A dreamy, smooth, light voice asked and he almost raised a brow, of course he wasn't okay, he was half fucking dead but how did she know him... oh god he really hoped it wasn't one of the girls he plugged and ran off on! A second went by and small hands rested on his torso, warm, gentle hands that then began to shake him, making his wounds burn and he made some attempt to slap her hand away but it just fell back down. It felt like forever until whoever she was spoke again. "Alright big guy..." she said taking his arm and pulling him to sit. "Let's get you up...!" She heaved and pulled him up, the pain hitting him like a bullet and he growled, wanting to be left there, it hurt so fucking much he wanted to cry but he wouldn't. From the way she was holding him, it was obvious she was tiny, like probably five foot but she must have had hulk like legs as she steadied them and started to move. He wasn't sure he'd ever been put through something so tiring, she was doing most of the work and he was the one breathing heavily and almost giving in. His steps were slow and they fumbled all over the place like a tacky zombie from the old film you'd see on the cable horror channel his legs shook as if he was taking his first steps ever. Suddenly his chest felt like it weighed a thousand tuns and he started coughing and gasping which almost made him fall but the mystery girl managed to keep him standing. "It's okay... I got you..." she soothed, her voice was gentle and quiet, almost like she didn't want to scare him. It seemed like an eternity before his foot hit something and she rose, oh stairs... well ain't that a pain in the ass! He struggled to follow her and she swayed backwards a few times, making his heart slam against his chest in the fear of falling down a flight of steps cause god knows he's already taken a beating. Despite the struggle his little, guardian angel managed to make it and she made him put his weight on her shoulders as he heard the jingle of keys and a door opened. She took him inside and he payed close attention to the fact she didn't lock her door when coming in, he heard it shut but didn't lock it. Stupid girl, don't you have any sense! He was much more aware of danger and she had to still be in the bad side of town... it was weird worrying about this girl he didn't know but he put it down to her saving his life. They walked a little and he heard a door creak open, the girl made her way slowly inside the room before she sighed and placed him on the bed, helping him put his feet up and there was a moment of silence before she let out an annoyed breath and left the room. It was dark which was kind of nice as he listened to her rummaging around in some cupboards and she still hadn't locked that fucking door which aggravated him. Even he had the sense to lock a door, what was she thinking, anyone could get in and murder her or rob her or anything, he was mentally ripping her a new asshole for leaving the door unlocked when a bright light was flicked on and he groaned, he tried to move in an attempt to get away from it but it was useless. There was a sniffle that caught his attention, not like a cold and trying to stop your nose running sniffle, like a crying sort of one and he went still, was this girl crying about him? He heard her footsteps and then shuffling, like someone was getting out of clothes which perked his attention, was the girl getting naked? Of course she wasn't she was probably shedding her outside clothing! The thought of it gave him a little motivation to open his eyes, it was just a crack but everything was blurry. He made out something blue, something white, the girls outline was tiny and he was really starting to be convinced that she was an angel before he closed his eyes again. It frustrated him how weak he was, how exhausted he was getting over things he did everyday without even thinking about it. He could hear rummaging and began to get real curious as to what the little lady was doing. It wasn't until something pressed against a cut on his head that he flinched and hissed through his teeth, what ever it was fucking burned and he wanted to pull away but that was fucking futile, instead he had to endure it every time she touched him the whatever soft pad she was using. The stinging started to numb until he hardly felt it and she started to dress the cuts and other wounds. "What have you been doing?" She asked and if he could then he would have let out a bitter laugh. What _hadn't_ he been doing was the more appropriate question, smoking weed, stealing, drinking, fucking prostitutes... living in a sense that everyday could be his last after he quit working for the crime lord, Jose. The little woman pulled him up and her fingers gripped his shirt, pulling it over his head as she held him to stop him for falling and hurting himself. There was complete silence as she laid him down and her breath became a bit ragged, was she sick or something though he wouldn't be surprised if she were to fall asleep there, it was almost eleven when he left the club and got attacked, he'd lost track of the time but he knew it must have been quite late and she'd just carried him for about twenty minutes. The pain in his arm came as a surprise as she started to clean the slash from one of the goons knives, he groaned as it started to throb and he tried to keep his heart rate normal. She stopped cleaning and started rummaging again in whatever she had, there was a stabbing in his arm which he ignored at first until it popped the skin and he growled as he attempted to turn to get away from whatever was causing it but she grabbed his arm and stopped him, not that it took much effort. "I need to stitch it, if I don't it will go septic and you'll have to have it taken off or you'll die!" She exclaimed, that most certainly stopped him from moving and he tensed off, she had to do it and she probably hated it just as much as he did. Her hands were warm and gentle as she carefully started to close his slash, it hurt something fucking chronic but she eventually stopped and he sagged back. He honestly felt like he was at deaths door, everything stung and throbbed, it was hard to stay awake, the only thing stopping him from slipping into blackness was the pain he kept having to endure. She picked up his arm and started wrapping something around the stitched up gash, when he felt her get to work on his chest area, it felt like she was shaking, she was probably clinging to consciousness herself. It was a god send that there wasn't anything to sever on his front as she started to cover any of the 'more than just a nick' wounds. He felt her sigh softly and lean on the edge of the bed, finally finishing her patch up job and he let himself give in finally when he heard her gentle breathing, indicating that she'd probably fallen to sleep so he did to and it felt like heaven... Little did he know that his 'Guardian angel' needed him just as much...


	3. Chapter 3

**A life worth fighting for**

 _ **Chapter 3: Well he isn't dead...**_

 **By: Stragazer**

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters in this story, they belong to Hiro Mashima. They finally meet hehe! Do enjoy and don't forget to review._ (✿◠‿◠)

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She was sleeping soundly, her little eyes fluttering behind the lids when a god awful racket woke her up in a start. Levy heart raced and she shot up as the large yell and thud echoed in the room, blinking back her sleep she saw, Gajeel, clutching his arm and groaning, the books she thought he would dodge clearly weren't as obvious as she thought and she scuttled over to him.

"Oh my god, Gajeel... are you alright?!" She squeaked, feeling kind of guilty because she left them their, her neck was hurting like hell from sleeping at such an awkward angle and she kept trying to roll it to dull some of the ache. Gajeels eyes snapped up towards her, narrowing and he growled in annoyance.

"The fuck do you have books lying around for? It's a fucking death trap!" He yelled at her, his voice hoarse and deep but she couldn't stop looking at those blood red orbs, they were like rubies. "Oi, you fucking listening or what, shrimp!?" He growled, pulling her from her daze and she shook her head, what was wrong with her.

"What? Yes... I thought you'd see them when you woke up, I didn't exactly have time for spring cleaning if you hadn't noticed!" She exclaimed and he 'tsked' as he attempted to get up with a grunt, he was still a little worse for ware but he wasn't dead so she was happy. "Here, let me help..." she said as she tucked his arm around her shoulder and helped him from the floor, he was tense, clearly not happy with the help but she couldn't give a damn, he could swallow his pride and shut up.

"How the fuck did you even get me here? you're fucking tiny!" He smirked and she ignored his teasing as she walked through the doors thresh hold and towards the kitchen, no doubt he'd be hungry after last night and she was starving. "Oh yeah, that reminds me, why didn't you fucking lock your door!?"He shouted and pretty much almost bit her ear off, it hadn't occurred to her to lock it when she got in and she didn't even notice so why did he when he was half dead?

"I was a bit busy trying to stop you from dying than to lock a door, what's the problem anyway? it was perfectly fine!" She laughed only... he didn't find it amusing as she looked up at him and his glare bore down on her like the weight of a thousand suns.

"Fine, Fucking fine, What if someone broke in? A robber, a murdered, a rapist, what could tiny you do against them? Huh, nothing that's what I fucking thought, aren't you suppose to be the schools damn whiz kid, you ain't that smart if you have your fucking door unlocked at night on the bad side of town, fucking idiot!" He scolded and she flinched, he was kind of right but nothing had ever happened, her down stairs neighbor and landlord was a doorman named Lily and he usually came to check on her at the early hours of the morning. She was perfectly safe.

"Are we dead? No, did I get robbed? No, did the house get ransacked? No, you need to learn to stop being paranoid not everyone is out there to hurt people!" She sighed as they walked into the kitchen and she settled him down on one of the table chairs, it was a small, round, pine table with matching chairs and the kitchen was relatively small. It had a built in cooker, fridge-freezer and the walls were lined with five cupboards on the bottom and above the sink. The kitchen top was made out of solid marble and there was a kettle, toaster and drying rack on the sides, Levy sighed as she looked out of the window, it was snowing again... it looked beautiful and she loved walking in it but she felt obligated to look after Gajeel while he recovered from what ever had happened to him. "So, what do you want for breakfast?" She asked, feeling awkward at the silence and she turned to him, he was looking around, inspecting things and he could have taken her breath away. He was perfectly toned and the way he sat showed every inch of his godly like features, he had a bored look on his face with one hand propped up on the table and his chin rested on it, he had on one of his legs up with his arm rested on it, he was honestly like a work of art and she span round as his eyes met with hers. She could tell her cheeks were all red and she felt hot, what was happening to her all of a sudden?

"Sup' shrimp, did you say somethin'?" He asked and she held back the shiver that was threatening to run down her spine, his voice was so deep and vibrated through her.

"Y-yeah... wh-what did you want f-for breakfast?!" She stuttered out and was mentally kicking herself, why was she acting so strange? She was confident she knew that but it was like he was sapping away of it with just his presence.

"Uh... what have you got?" He questioned and she opened the fridge first, wondering if she could make them a warm one, there was eggs, bacon, milk, vegetables, fruit, yogurt, sandwich filling, cheese, sausage rolls and a few other bits and pieces.

"I have egg and bacon if you want some... there is some milk and cereal in the top left cupboard and bowls are in the bottom middle, so what will it be?" She answered and already decided she was having eggs and bacon, maybe some toast to go with it. She flicked on the radio she had on the windowsill and started listening to one of the current songs that they liked to play fifty times a day but she liked it so she didn't complain.

"Ummm can I have bacon and eggs...?" He asked and she nodded as she pulled them out and bumped the fridge door shut with her hips, she walked over to the cooker and pulled out a frying pan from the cupboard next to it. She lit it and started humming as she grabbed the cooking oil so the food wouldn't stick to the pan, she soon forgot he was sat there as she started swaying and she lightly sang the words to the song as she cracked the eggs and put them in the pan doing two for each. Levy liked dancing while cooking, it was about the only thing fun in her life, the rest was exam, study, exam, study over and over, she liked being smart but all the expectations were sometimes a bit to much. She grabbed two plates and the eggs started to bubbled and spit as she turned them over to stop the yolks from popping, a few more minutes and she took them out, placing them on the plates and them opening the packet of bacon. The six strips hissed when they touched the pan and she got the bread as she plugged in the toaster and placed the two slices in it and pulled down the nozzle for them to start toasting. She flipped over the bacon and they started to crisp so she gave them a couple more second as the bread popped up a lovely brown and she pulled them from the toaster, placing one on each plate then dishing out the bacon, three pieces on each and she turned, giving Gajeel his plate and putting her own on the table so she could grab a knife and fork for the both of them. Gajeel was completely silent the whole time as she gave him his cutlery and she sat down across from him, eating her own food. The kitchen was full of knife scraping pottery, forks digging into food and it was fair to say that he was most surely hungry as he devoured his food in a matter of minutes while she was still eating half of it.

"That good hmm?" She asked after a mouthful and he nodded as he pushed himself up with a grunt and walked over to the sink, she smiled as he washed his own pots up and placed them on the drying rack before limping to sit back down.

"Where are your parents?" He questioned and she looked up at him, he was watching her which was a little off putting as she swallowed a chunk of toast and wiped her mouth of any stray food.

"My dads in the army so he's away a lot and my mom is traveling, she's an archaeologist so she's always going to some place or another..." she answered quietly and a thick silence waved over them, like he knew she was a little sensitive about it.

"D'you miss them?" He asked and she nodded as she ate her last egg and pushed the plate of one and a half slices of bacon and a quarter of her toast away.

"Yeah... I guess, they are my parents after all... I just don't see them enough to really be that torn up about it, they stay home for a few days at a time before my fathers regiment is called back or my mom gets another job, my landlord is pretty much my only parent, he was in my dads regiment until he was deemed unfit for battle because he ran into a burning building to save some kids and got badly burnt..." she explained and he nodded slowly. "What about you?" She asked and he blinked as he looked down at the table then back at her.

"Real parents died in a plane crash, my godfather fucked off when I was eight, I was bounced around foster homes until they gave me to a guy names Jose and well, now I'm here... pretty shit but hey... better than being dead!" He laughed bitterly and she could see the sadness in his eyes, he looked kind of lost which made her want to cry.

"Do you like... Jose?" She questioned, unsure of if she should but she... she wanted to get to know him, he didn't seem half as bad as all the stories that went around school and she could tell he was lonely.

"Fuck no... his goons did this to me, he just took me in because he wanted a lapdog... I'd rather live on the streets than go back to that asshole!" He growled and she flinched a little but smiled when he looked guilty.

"Why don't you stay here... I have the room?" She stated and blinked before shaking his head and her heart sank a little, she didn't want to see him in such a state again.

"No, shrimp, my world is a fucked up place and you wouldn't survive two seconds if you got dragged into it... I'm not gonna put you in a position like that..." he told her and she wanted to plead with him, to stop him from going back but she knew it was no use.

"So... what are you going to do instead?" She asked, curious to see if he had another place to stay but she highly doubted it from what she was aware, he was practically the most hated guy in school.

"Guess I'm gonna go homeless for the time being, unless I can get Jose to stop being a prick, anyway, thanks for the food... but I gotta get going, do you have... a top I could use?" He said and she sighed as she nodded before getting out of her seat and putting her plate on the side and walking back through the house, in the spare room was some of her fathers old clothes which she guessed would fit the hulk of an eighteen year old. She grabbed out the warmest thing which was a think, black jumper, she pulled it out and handed it to him, he quickly pulled it on over his head, giving her a few seconds to look at his body in all of it's muscled glory which made her breath hitch a little. When he had it on, he rolled up the sleeves and he limped to the front door, with her following close behind. He opened it and turned to frown at her, she knew it was about it being unlocked and she shook her head as he stepped over the thresh hold into the freezing winter air and even she shivered.

"W-wait there a second!" She ordered and he gave her a curious glance but did as she said while she ran back to the spare room, in the dresser were a few things her father no longer wore, that being a big, brown, leather jacket with grey striped down the arms and around the collar and a pair of crimson, finger-less gloves but she figure they'd help as she pulled them out and scampered back to Gajeel. "Put these on, they should keep you a little warm!" She smiled and he blinked as he pulled on the jacket, which suited him all to well and he pulled on the gloves before shoving his hands in the pockets of the jacket after zipping it up.

"Thanks, for everything shrimp... I'll see you around..." He grinned and she nodded as he patted her head before he glared at her again and her heart skipped a beat. "And lock that fucking door!" Gajeel scolded before he slowly made his way down the steps, he was limping and she was worried about him but she knew he was a stubborn idiot, all she could do was hope. What she had no idea of was that she'd be seeing him again...


	4. Chapter 4

**A life worth fighting for**

 _ **Chapter 4: Not a puppet...**_

 **By: Stragazer**

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters in this story, they belong to Hiro Mashima. Wooh we finally meet the evil Jose and Gajeel does some butt-kicking do enjoy and don't forget to review._ (✿◠‿◠)

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He was grumbling as he limped down the street to that crappy apartment building that Jose lived on the top floor of, he wouldn't lie, he was afraid, he was afraid of what Jose would do... though he'd never say it out loud. It had taken him almost all day to get on the other side of town due to his wounds and it was starting to get dark. His chin and mouth were hidden in the collar of the jacket she gave him, why was she so nice to him? He was an ass, no one cared about him so why did she? Jose told him he was nothing but a failure, that no one liked him, everyone hated him so why did she save him? She tended his wound that didn't hurt as much as they did last night thanks to her, she gave him food, she was kind to him... why!? It was making him so frustrated. Gajeel limped into the building, ignoring everyone who whispered and stared at him as he passed, he didn't have the time nor the effort to deal with them today. His heart was thumping in his chest as he started to climb the stairs to the tenth floor, every flight made his feet feel heavier as he glared at the walls, refusing to look at anyone who looked his way. The walls were decorated with cracks in the plaster, some showing the wood behind it, there was graffiti everywhere and even bloodstains from where someone had crossed Jose and ended up six feet under. On the tenth floor it felt like his whole body was shaking as he pushed open the door to the apartments, it was dark, some of the lights flickered on and off, it was freezing making him bury his hands further in an attempt to keep them warm, it was like death itself was following him, so cold and dark, he was trembling as he knocked on the door of the last apartment. There was silence, his heart was beating in his throat, pounding his ears as he tried to steady his breathing and put on a brave face. When the door opened it was non other than that man himself, he had a sickly mustache and his was pale, like a ghost, he was stick thin and was a few inches taller than Gajeel, with crimson hair that was tied in a small pony tail, he had disgusting, green, beady eyes and his lips were always blue, like he was close to freezing point. His eyes widened at the sight of Gajeel then he glared and let him in, Gajeel did nothing but glare back, not saying a word as he saw the three idiots that attempted to kill him the night before.

"Gajeel, my boy, this is certainly a surprise!" Jose bit out and his goons shivered, Gajeel gave them a wicked grin and they scowled at him, no doubt confused at to why he wasn't dead in an alley somewhere.

"Ain't it just... just imagine when I come out of the bar, after getting that Sol guys address so you can pay him a visit and I suddenly get jumped on by the fucking retard musketeers... I guess you didn't really want it after all!" Gajeel snickered and Jose started spluttering in an attempt to get back in Gajeel good books so he could repay Sol for burning down his favorite scumbag meeting place and making him lose very important allies.

"No... you're mistaken my boy, they were... they were... training you... yes, to see if you always had your guard up, you know how cruel the world can be!" Jose exclaimed and Gajeel scoffed as he fished out the paper in his pocket and stalked up to the crime lord. He slammed the address onto Jose's chest and glared at him.

"Save it, I'm done Jose, I ain't gonna be your puppet anymore!" Gajeel growled, in truth he was terrified but he acted the part pretty well and he had the fists to back it up.

"Oh... is that so, my boy, well I guess the puppets that can't be used get thrown in the trash!" Jose smirked and Gajeel searched his pale green eyes, he knew Jose wasn't lying but none of the men were moving to do anything which made him nervous. "Boys, if you wouldn't mind, I need some time alone with this little brat!" He spat and Gajeel inwardly shuddered, Jose wasn't one for fighting someone himself, instead he like to get someone to do his dirty work for him, which was usually Gajeel but he'd had enough of that. The men took no time in leaving and he was left with the furious Jose who's eyes seemed to get darker as he frowned. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to do this Gajeel, you were one of my most prized possessions, I was hoping you would stop defying me but alas, you have given me no choice..." he said darkly.

"I ain't no possession, I'm a fucking human being, Jose, and I ain't gonna take orders from you anymore, your a sick, twisted man!" Gajeel yelled at him and Jose only laughed.

"You have a lot to learn, boy, it's to bad that you won't be around to do so..." he broke off, making a dramatic pause as he turned to the door. "Aria... take care of this... pest!" He ordered and Gajeels eyes went wide as a shadow formed from behind him, making him flinch as he turned around to see the huge 6'7'' man with tanned skin. Aria was blind so he wore a cloth around his eyes but he was a very skilled, very mean and sadistic man, also one of Jose's best enforcers.

"Ahh, Gajeel, it saddens me to have to hurt such a young boy!" He cried as Jose left the room and Gajeel stepped back, his heart was thumping in his chest, he knew how quick and agile Aria was, despite not being able to see. Aria was bold though he hid it under a green hat, he had a yellow t-shirt on and a loose pair of black pants with a pair of beaten up, black plimsoll like shoes. He looked like he had gotten dressed in the dark, the irony of it made Gajeel let out a snicker until Aria stepped towards him.

"You're not really going to kill me are you, Aria, think of how much it would fuck with you, you don't wanna do it!" Gajeel tried to reason, using Aria's strange sensitive soul to his advantage but it didn't work as the tall man laughed.

"It would... but Jose has given the order and I am feeling a little testy today, so taking my anger out on you would work just fine!" Aria smiled and ran at him, Gajeel had a split second to dive over one of the couches but Aria caught his collar and pulled his down, his large fist landing straight into the young boys chest and something cracked, making Gajeel cry out in pain. "You should have done as he said!" Aria shouted as he picked Gajeel up with almost no effort, Gajeel struggled, writhing in his grip before Aria threw him, his body hit the wall across from them and the wall cracked as Gajeel grunted and slumped to the floor.

"Ari..a... please, you...d-don't have to... do this!" Gajeel groaned as he got back up, Aria was stalking towards him as Gajeel sighed and started defending himself, the large man was caught off guard as Gajeel jumped up, punching him square in the jaw and Aria stumbled back with a gasp. This gave Gajeel enough time to kick his legs out from under him and dive for the window, knowing Jose and his goons would be waiting outside the door if he tried to escape.

"I don't think so young man!" Aria growled, his heavy, fast footsteps close behind Gajeel as he reached the window an he pulled it up, attempting to climb out of it but Aria was too quick as he yanked him back and threw him backwards, making him roll across the floor. He jumped up, getting ready to defend himself again when Aria sent him flying with a sucker punch to his left eye and he yelped in pain as he scrambled across the floor, the eye was completely shocked by the sudden attack making everything blurry as Gajeel shook his head trying to stop it. "You shouldn't fight with men, Gajeel, you're just a boy!" Aria spat at him and Gajeel growled, okay, he was no longer angry, now his adrenaline was pumping and all it was doing was saying fight! In that moment, pixie blue hair fluttered past his vision, that smile, she helped him for no reason, the smartest girl in school helped him, for nothing in return. She was worried about him, she cared, so he'd show her that he was worth caring about and he wasn't going to be beaten up by the likes of a fat, blind, old man.

"Fuck you Aria, you stupid fuck, you think Jose gives a shit about you, what'd he done for you, he's the reason you're fucking blind you stupid bastard!" Gajeel laughed and Aria snarled, taunting him probably wasn't the best idea but he was going to beat him at his own game. "What's wrong, old man, am I pissing you off, you're a fucking joke, parading around like you own the place, hey... Aria, how many fingers am I holding up?!" He snickered, holding up his middle fingers as he leaned on the wall and he could tell, behind the cloth that the large man was scowling at him.

"None because I'm about to break them!" Aria yelled and started to run towards him. One, breath. Two, watch him. Three, get ready. Four... move! He did, rolling to the side and Aria had no time to sense the wall as he hit it head on, he face colliding with the thick plaster and Gajeel burst out laughing at the knocked out man before he dashed to the window. Jose opened the door at the moment Gajeel was running down the metal fire escape, jumping every few steps and swinging under one of the grates to the floor below.

"Gajeel... you're dead, you're fucking dead!" He heard Jose yell as he sprinted down the alley into the street, not stopping as he dodged pedestrians and ran. Gajeel had no idea where he was running but his legs were moving, it was fucking painful but they seemed to work through the ache. He just knew he needed to run, he needed to get away, unknowingly heading in the direction of a certain bluenette...


	5. Chapter 5

**A life worth fighting for**

 _ **Chapter 5: Damn woman**_

 **By: Stragazer**

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters in this story, they belong to Hiro Mashima. Anywho, sorry it was late been a bit busy and been in hospital for a little bit, do enjoy and don't forget to review._ (✿◠‿◠)

* * *

 **The next day...**

Levy was shattered, soaked and cold as she walked through the street, it was pouring it down, rain battered her face and obviously she just _had_ to forget a damn umbrella to school. She lived over two hours away so it took forever and she missed the bus and she'd had a bad day, some girl had shoved her over at dinner and she spilled her food everywhere so she was hungry. The teachers were going on and on about how she was slacking because she got and A and not an A+ in her test like usual, it was great getting an A but they needed her at the top of her game to look good for her school and she was 'setting a bad example'. All she wanted to do was get in, take a shower, get some food and go to sleep, as she was walking her foot slipped on a wet piece of ice making her wobble and he feet splayed out, making her fall backwards and she fell on her butt with a thud. Now her trousers were wet which was just grand! With a huff, she stood back up, balancing herself before taking a shaky step and moving forwards again, her apartment was in sight and she smiled, almost home. Her breath was coming out in puffs of mist as she sped up, the thought of her bed almost to good to be true as she passed Lily door and knocked on it to indicate she was home from school. She turned the corner to the steps eagerly and almost screamed when she saw him sat on the steps, his face bruised and he had a black eye that was a little swollen, his cheek was bruised and the cuts on his face had re-opened, when he noticed her, he looked up with a small grin.

"Oh my god, Gajeel what happened!?" She squeaked as she dashed up to him and took his battered face in her hands, inspecting it as he grunted and wrapped his fingers around her small wrists to stop her.

"Jose... wasn't as happy as I thought he'd be..." he stated and tears pricked her eyes, she wiped them away with a sniffle and took his hand in her gloved one, he was still in what he'd left in only it was soaked.

"Come on, let's get inside before we both catch colds!" She smiled as she walked past him and he made no attempt to move away, instead he followed her as she walked up the steps, she took out her keys and unlocked the door, walking inside and she shut the door behind him. Levy went to walk past him and he grabbed her arm, she looked up at him, confused as he took her keys and shoved them in the lock.

"If I have to say one more time about locking this fucking door, you'll be sorry!" He growled and she shook her head with a grin, he was so worried and it was kind of cute. Once the door was lock he gave her the keys back and she put them on the hook a few meters from the door as she took off her coat and shook her hair out, the droplets spraying everywhere as she took her school shoes off. Gajeel had done the same and followed her as she sat down on one of the boring, plain brown, suede couches and he again mirrored her, sitting on the other side of the sofa and there was an awkward silence between the two.

"I'm off in the shower, do you want to go in before or after me?" She asked after a tense moment and he looked up contemplating his answer before he shook his head.

"You can go in before me..." he said and she nodded, standing up from her seat and she started to walk out of the room but he grabbed her small wrist in his hand and she blinked in confusion as she looked down at him. "Thanks... for letting me in and helping me..." he trailed off, his face red from either the rain or embarrassment, she couldn't exactly tell.

"It's okay... you know, you're not at all like everyone describes you!" She giggled as he let go of her hand and gave her a questionable look as she bent down. "For a start, you're a lot sweeter..." she smiled and kissed his bruised cheek gently before skipping off in the direction of the bathroom, leaving him blinking after her. Her heart was thumping in her chest, oh god! She just kissed Gajeel Redfox, on the cheek, yes but she still kissed him and she wasn't sure that it was because she genuinely liked him or if it was a spur of the moment thing. With the bathroom closed and locked, she slid down it smiling, her face red and she hid her hands in her face, god she was so stupidly giddy it was annoying. She managed to gain her composure and let out a small breath before she got out of her wet uniform and stepped inside the shower.

 **Meanwhile...**

Gajeel stared blankly at his hands as he recalled what had just happened... she kissed him... her lips touched his face and they were so soft... he couldn't think straight. A girl kissing him was no big thing but she'd kissed his cheek and it sent his heart into overdrive, his palms had gone sweaty and his head had gone numb, all he could think about was those lips. While he heard her sweet voice in the shower all he heard was those lips, the way her voice emanated from them if anything, he wanted his lips on them, in that moment he was going crazy.

"Damn woman... what have you done to me!?" He grumbled under his breath as he bent over, putting his face in his hands and trying to calm himself down. Of all things, he couldn't believe such a little thing, that little, sweet bluenette, could cause such a reaction, could make all of him go so wild with just a peck on the cheek, it was insane. It was like she'd kissed away his pain, he no longer hurt now, in fact, he felt a lot better, like he could climb a mountain or take on the world. With a sigh, he picked himself up off of the couch and limped around the front room, trying to distract himself from his thoughts as he stared out of the window. The rain was racing down the window as he remembered the times with his god father, he didn't know why he abandoned him, it was confusing and he grew to hate the man but he always found himself thinking of the times before then. He taught him a lot, he made him feel like he had a family again and then he tore it away. Lightning electrified the clouds and thunder rumbled in, he liked cold weather but storms always made him feel on edge, maybe it was the loud noises like the sound of that door slamming shut, the flicker of the lights as he waited... and waited but he never came back.

"Gajeel..." he heard a small voice say and something warm touched his arm, making him flinch and he looked down, Levy was there, looking worried and he almost choked on a breath. She looked amazing, her hair was pinned to her cream face, her golden eyes shining up at him, her body was wrapped in an orange, fluffy towel, her small hands clutching it at her chest. Her skin was dotted with droplets of water and her bare legs were crossed as he smirked.

"Y-yeah... what's up?" He asked, cursing his voice for failing him and squeaking a little as she giggled, something that sounded like wind chimes and he felt his heart melting inside his chest.

"I did call to you but you didn't answer, the shower is free if you want to use it!" She smiled and he coughed as he nodded and patted her wet hair, making her frown as he walked past her. He was angry at himself for loosing his cool around her and it was obvious that she knew it as well which only made it worse. Unfortunately, his agony with the little, alluring, bluenette was only just beginning...


	6. Chapter 6

**A life worth fighting for**

 _ **Chapter 6: Hurt**_

 **By: Stragazer**

 _I do not own Fairy Tail or any of the characters in this story, they belong to Hiro Mashima. Anywho, I know it's a late up date, I'm really sorry, the doctors say I have Appendicitis :( they're going to be prepping me for surgery the day after tomorrow so I might not update until afterwards but anyway do enjoy and don't forget to review._ (✿◠‿◠)

* * *

Gajeel and Levy had started living together after clearing it with Lily, she managed to drag him to school... eventually and they got a lot of weird looks but she didn't mind. They would sit in comfortable silence while she studied or he would go to the store and get groceries, Lily had even given him a job as a bar cleaner for the time being and they seemed to get along. It was a comfortable routine but he was getting restless, he was use to adventure, taking a chance, risking everything for the sake of adrenaline...

" _Cooommmmeee oooooonnnn_ , let's go do something, I'm bored!" He whined as he lolled over the couch were she was sat with her legs outstretched and she peaked out from over the book as she shook her head, he was such a baby sometimes.

"Gajeel, I'm studying, you should be to, it's our last year, you need good grades but if you want then you can go out but I'm staying in!" Levy huffed, refusing to give in to him as he flipped over the edge and landed on her bare legs and she groaned. Levy was dressed in a pair of grey shorts, red, fluffy socks and a brown jumper that was way to big for her but it was comfortable so she wore it.

"Come with me, please... please... I think I'm gonna go insane, just put the book down for once!" He cried as he climbed up her so his head was on her thighs, she looked down at him, his red eyes wide and pleading as she shook her head.

"It's pouring out there, I am not going out in that plus... you still have to clean the dishes!" She scolded and he stuck out his bottom lips as he poked her in the side and she jumped, frowning at him. With a grumble he turned his head, still laid on her and she shoved him with her knee in an attempt to push him off but he only growled and glared up at her.

"I'm tired, let me sleep!" He mumbled and she scoffed he was so awake two seconds ago and begging to go out with a sigh she let him rest on her as she began to read again though the words were starting to become fuzzy and jumbled up as she felt his hot breath fanning the skin on her thighs, making her body go all warm and flustered. She wriggled a little as she tried to get comfy without him breathing on her, he groaned as she moved down so his head was on her stomach and she had her book propped up in the air. It was calm as she studied and he suddenly began to snore but it didn't faze her as she started running her hand through his hair and she put the book down, putting her arm over her eyes and slowly drifting off to sleep as well.

 _"Look Levy, this is called a Dent De Drac which is just a fancy way of say dragon tooth!" Her mother smiled as she handed the little girl the tooth that was almost the size as her forearm. Her golden eyes glittered as she gasped, it was heavy and so big, she couldn't believe an animal with teeth this big use to be alive as she ran through the kitchen to her father._

 _"Papa... look, mama gave me a DeDaDe... a dragon tooth!" She squealed because she couldn't pronounce the right way of saying it and her fathers hazel eyes shone bright as he stroked her head, his blue lock tied back in a short pony tail as he lifted her on to his lap._

 _"Wow, it's almost as big as you, poppet!" He laughed as she smiled as she held it up like a long lost relic. "Get up..." her father said and she turned it was him smiling but the voice sounded sinister and she blinked. "Get up!" He screamed with that smiling face and she jumped._

Her body shot up and she looked around, the lights were off, when? Who turned them off? She looked down, Gajeel wasn't there, normally she would think he'd have gone to bed but something was off. It was so cold and she was startled at the sound of the front door slamming shut and her heart started to race as she stood up. Slowly, ever so slowly, she walked towards the door and switched the light on as she went and she shrieked. There before her was a man, hiding in the shadows. He was sickly thin, his complexion pale and he had light green eyes, his facial hair was all over the place, his beard in a thick line and his mustache going around his mouth.

"Ah... miss Levy I presume, I've heard _aaallll_ about you, you've turned one of my most prized boys into quite the sensitive soul..." he said so calmly and her blood ran cold... this was Jose, Gajeels foster father. "Don't worry, I'm not going to kill you... no killing a woman so weak would just be a nuisance, instead... I'm going to use you as a pawn" his cold voice explained and she shook her head.

"W-Where... where is Gajeel?... What have you done to him!?" She yelled stomping her foot as hard as she could, her voice cracking at the thought of him being hurt but Jose just laughed.

"My, how feisty, why do you even care about that little criminal? He doesn't care about you, he's been using you" he said and her heart ached at his words, it couldn't be true.

"You're lying, where is he!?" She snapped, stomping her foot again, harder this time and there was a snap of a floor board, Jose only shook his head as he pulled something out of his pocket and she flinched. It was a camera.

"Catch, look at it, then you'll believe me..." he said as he tossed it into the air and she managed to catch it, slowly, with shaking hands she opened the compartment to the screen, it was blue and she hesitated before she pressed play and she gasped. Gajeel was there, sat on a couch with his arms over the sides, two girls sat either side of him, rubbing their arms across his chest.

 _" **Gajeel my boy, so good having you back... where were you all this time?** " _Jose's voice asked and Gajeel turned to one of the girls, pulling her into a kiss and Levys heart hit her ribs as her knees gave way and she fell to the floor.

" _ **Just some pathetic chicks place, she thought we were friends so I used it to my advantage, I needed to get away for a bit, you understand right?**_ " Gajeel answered and there was a murmur of agreement, her eyes started to blur as the tears started to sting and escape down her cheeks, how... how could he say something like that? After everything she'd done for him? How could he act like he cared then be so different the next second? It was so painful.

" _ **So what about the mission, are you going to go through with it? You're not going to leave again**_ " Jose's voice said and she sniffled, she didn't want to watch anymore but she wanted answers and she hoped that it would give her some.

" _ **Sure, why would I want to leave these beautiful Gals'? Gimmie a few hours to give these ladies some personal time and I'll get going!**_ " Gajeel grinned as he stood, both girls in tow and she not only was crying but her heart started to burn with hatred, she'd fallen for him and he was playing her like a harp the whole time. In her anger she threw the camera at Jose, he dodged it and it smashed behind him as she sat shaking on the floor, crying and angry, she was frustrated.

"Do you want to hurt him?... Do you want to see him pay for liking them and not you? After all, what do they have that you don't?" He said and she nodded, she wanted to hurt him to see him be mangled underneath her. "You're smart, kind, you're beautiful... why wouldn't he like you? They're just sluts that haven't done anything for him... you took him in, fed him, soothed his wounds, why do they get attention and not you?" He asked and she stood up, glaring down at the floor.

"What do I have to do?" She asked, looking up at him, those fiery eyes were back but this time, they wanted nothing more than to hurt the boy who made her feel worthless. He held out his hand with a smirk and she was hesitant, she was unsure but she looked at the broken camera, shattered just like her and she wanted to shatter him. Taking his hand, she couldn't see the evil in his eyes, will Levy be saved from spiraling into a world of darkness or will her hatred consume her...?


	7. author's note

_**Hey guys, LabyrinthStarGazer here, so I know it's been a while... I want to apologize as I am still in the hospital, it turns out that not only had my appendix ruptured but they found a tumor on my stomach, they removed it and it turns out that it was cancerous. I'm fine now but I've gotten really sick, it's not life threatening but the doctors are a little worried, I should be going home soon though. They said I should stay in bed for a while, get bed rest and have my medicine, I should be fine so don't worry :) I have a bit of writers block as well for this stpry but I hae another that I want to put up and I think you'll enjoy it, PS there is a really cute nurce that comes in and checks on me, his name is Kyle and he is really kind hehe ;) but yeah I'll upload my new story later and I've done a few chapters already to keep your mind satisfied, it is Gajevy for all you fairy tail lovers haha so I gotta go now cause the doctors want to take my bloods D: I hate needles so I'll seeya later ^-^**_


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